The environmental company Ragn-Sells has applied to the municipality of Narva, eastern Estonia, to start the detailed planning of the oil shale ash valorising plant. The decision on location was made based on the closeness to the oil shale ash hills, existing industrial infrastructure, and minimal impact on the local living environment.
- If we are serious about creating a sustainable society, we must start using the raw materials we already have, again and again. And with this application to the municipality of Narva we can make that happen with a new sustainable technology to valorise both industrial waste and CO2, says Alar Saluste, project manager at Ragn-Sells.
The planned plant will be able to valorise up to one million tons of oil shale ash and 250 000 tonnes of CO2 in a year, resulting in around 500 000 tonnes of ultra-pure calcium carbonate.
During the selection process, Ragn-Sells has been choosing between eight different locations in Ida-Virumaa and Lääne-Virumaa municipalities.
- All of them have their positive sides, but Narva has the large benefit of being located very close to the ash hills. That means we can minimise the environmental impact of the transportation of ash. In addition, the chosen location also has the necessary electricity, water, and heating connections as well as logistical infrastructure, said Saluste.
The plant planned to be built in Ida-Virumaa will bring the region approximately 250 million euros in investments and create up to 100 direct jobs and 400 indirect jobs.
About the OSA-project:
The technology developed in collaboration with Ragn-Sells, University of Tartu, Tallinn Technical University Taltech, and several international laboratories enables to produce ultra-pure climate positive calcium carbonate from oil shale ash from electricity production combined with CO2. The production does not create any new air emissions as there is no incineration process involved.
Ragn-Sells established the subsidiary R-S OSA Projekt OÜ for the project and have already invested almost 2 million Euros. Project partners are Eesti Energia AS, Estonian Enterprise, Archimedes Foundation, as well as international companies Tarkett and Gealan.
More information: www.osaservice.ee
The environmental company Ragn-Sells converts waste into raw materials that can be be used over and over again. Ragn-Sells drives the transition to a circular economy through solutions that reduce its own and other actors' environmental and climate impact. Ragn-Sells wants to be living proof that caring for the earth and business go hand in hand. Ragn-Sells is a family owned corporate group founded in 1881. The company operates in five countries and employs 2,500 persons. In 2021, Ragn-Sells’ turnover was SEK 7.6 billion. www.ragnsells.com